Tehran said it will test-fire missiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a move likely to stoke tensions with Washington already running high over Iran's threats to close the strategic oil waterway if sanctions are enforced.
"Shorter- and longer-range, ground-to-sea, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles will be tested on Saturday," the ISNA news agency quoted Iran's navy spokesman, Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi, as saying on Friday.

Iran, which has been carrying out war games in the Strait of Hormuz over the past week, has said that "not a drop of oil" would pass through the strait if Western governments follow through with planned additional sanctions over its nuclear programme.

The US State Department said on Thursday that Iran's threat to close the waterway, through which more than a third of the world's tanker-borne oil passes, exhibited "irrational behavior" and "will not be tolerated."

The naval manoeuvres launched by Iran in the strait on December 24 have so far included mine-laying and the use of aerial drones, according to Iranian media.

Analysts and oil market traders have been watching developments in and around the Strait of Hormuz carefully, fearing that the intensifying war of words between arch foes Tehran and Washington could spark open confrontation.

With tensions over the straight simmering, Iran-rival Saudi Arabia announced that it had signed a deal to buy 84 new US fighter jets in order maximise defence capabilities in the oil-rich kingdom.

Tehran said it will test-fire missiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a move likely to stoke tensions with Washington already running high over Iran's threats to close the strategic oil waterway if sanctions are enforced.
"Shorter- and longer-range, ground-to-sea, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles will be tested on Saturday," the ISNA news agency quoted Iran's navy spokesman, Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi, as saying on Friday.

Iran, which has been carrying out war games in the Strait of Hormuz over the past week, has said that "not a drop of oil" would pass through the strait if Western governments follow through with planned additional sanctions over its nuclear programme.

The US State Department said on Thursday that Iran's threat to close the waterway, through which more than a third of the world's tanker-borne oil passes, exhibited "irrational behavior" and "will not be tolerated."

The naval manoeuvres launched by Iran in the strait on December 24 have so far included mine-laying and the use of aerial drones, according to Iranian media.

Analysts and oil market traders have been watching developments in and around the Strait of Hormuz carefully, fearing that the intensifying war of words between arch foes Tehran and Washington could spark open confrontation.

With tensions over the straight simmering, Iran-rival Saudi Arabia announced that it had signed a deal to buy 84 new US fighter jets in order maximise defence capabilities in the oil-rich kingdom.

Tehran said it will test-fire missiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a move likely to stoke tensions with Washington already running high over Iran's threats to close the strategic oil waterway if sanctions are enforced.
"Shorter- and longer-range, ground-to-sea, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles will be tested on Saturday," the ISNA news agency quoted Iran's navy spokesman, Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi, as saying on Friday.

Iran, which has been carrying out war games in the Strait of Hormuz over the past week, has said that "not a drop of oil" would pass through the strait if Western governments follow through with planned additional sanctions over its nuclear programme.

The US State Department said on Thursday that Iran's threat to close the waterway, through which more than a third of the world's tanker-borne oil passes, exhibited "irrational behavior" and "will not be tolerated."

The naval manoeuvres launched by Iran in the strait on December 24 have so far included mine-laying and the use of aerial drones, according to Iranian media.

Analysts and oil market traders have been watching developments in and around the Strait of Hormuz carefully, fearing that the intensifying war of words between arch foes Tehran and Washington could spark open confrontation.

With tensions over the straight simmering, Iran-rival Saudi Arabia announced that it had signed a deal to buy 84 new US fighter jets in order maximise defence capabilities in the oil-rich kingdom.

Tehran said it will test-fire missiles in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a move likely to stoke tensions with Washington already running high over Iran's threats to close the strategic oil waterway if sanctions are enforced.
"Shorter- and longer-range, ground-to-sea, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles will be tested on Saturday," the ISNA news agency quoted Iran's navy spokesman, Commodore Mahmoud Mousavi, as saying on Friday.

Iran, which has been carrying out war games in the Strait of Hormuz over the past week, has said that "not a drop of oil" would pass through the strait if Western governments follow through with planned additional sanctions over its nuclear programme.

The US State Department said on Thursday that Iran's threat to close the waterway, through which more than a third of the world's tanker-borne oil passes, exhibited "irrational behavior" and "will not be tolerated."

The naval manoeuvres launched by Iran in the strait on December 24 have so far included mine-laying and the use of aerial drones, according to Iranian media.

Analysts and oil market traders have been watching developments in and around the Strait of Hormuz carefully, fearing that the intensifying war of words between arch foes Tehran and Washington could spark open confrontation.

With tensions over the straight simmering, Iran-rival Saudi Arabia announced that it had signed a deal to buy 84 new US fighter jets in order maximise defence capabilities in the oil-rich kingdom.

Sanctions are an act of war. They are a deliberate attack on a nations economy. Ramifications are felt through the entire population. Make no mistake. We have already started a war with Iran.

We had better had start paying attention to what we are doing.

Click to expand...

Yes we are the aggressor. I know most stubborn Americans wont acccept that reality,but it is the reality. Who are we to impose sanctions on Iran? Would we like sanctions being imposed on us? I'm pretty sure most Americans would consider that an act of War. The fact is,Iran has the right to develop Nuclear technology. Who are we to say they cannot? If i were advising both Iran & Syria,i would advise them to speed up their Nuclear advancement and get those Nukes as soon as possible. Because once they have the Nukes,the West will welcome them into the 'Nuclear Club' with open arms. The same can be said of North Korea.

Getting Nukes guarantees respect & prestige. The West repects those with power. And those who have Nukes,have power. That was Gaddafi's biggest blunder. Once he gave up on his Nuclear ambitions,his fate was sealed. If hadn't given up on his Nuclear ambitions,he would still be in power today. Instead he lost his country and his life. I don't think Syria,Iran,and North Korea are going to make that same mistake. They know how the game is played.

Granny says purt soon we all gonna be holdin' hands an' singin' Yo Ho, Blow the Man Down...Analysts: Iran's Threats in Gulf Unlikely to Lead to WarJanuary 06, 2012 - On January 3, 2012 the Pentagon answered an Iranian warning to keep U.S. aircraft carriers out of the Persian Gulf by declaring that American warships will continue regularly scheduled deployments to the strategic waterway

Irans recent threat to close the Strait of Hormuz led to a defiant U.S. response. It raised concerns of a military clash in the Persian Gulf and also raised oil prices. Some analysts do not expect the war of words to escalate into a military conflict. Iran fired missiles and exercised its navy, amid sharp rhetoric from officials who warned the United States not to move an aircraft carrier into the Persian Gulf - something it routinely does. U.S. officials made clear operations will continue in the Gulf, which is an international waterway.

Iran expert Mark Fitzpatrick believes Iran's threat are hollow. Its laughable that anyone would think that the U.S. Navy is going to listen to Irans instructions and be shut out of an area of operation in international waters. Its just not going to happen," he said. "In that sense, Irans threats have a kind of emptiness to them that should be readily apparent to anyone.

Iran also threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the worlds oil flows - a move the United States would not tolerate. Still, Fitzpatrick says this weeks rhetoric is not likely to lead to war. I dont think that we are going to see a military conflict in the weeks or couple months to come, he added. But he says if Iran gets closer to producing a nuclear weapon, that could trigger military moves by the United States or Israel. Iranian officials say their nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.

Still, Iran seems to be feeling the sting of Western pressures. The U.S. and its European allies say the latest in 30 years of international sanctions are beginning to hurt Iran's economy, because they focus on oil. Now that sanctions are beginning to bite on Irans sale of oil, it gets to the very heart of the Iranian economy. So they are feeling under some great pressure. And countries under pressure react in various ways, often by lashing out, Fitzpatrick stated. But Fitzpatrick says the Iranian rhetoric also has a practical impact pushing up oil prices and providing Iran with a small infusion of cash.

And analyst James Brazier of the IHS consulting firm says it would be foolish for the West to ignore Iran's threats. Iran has invested heavily in its navy, and especially in unconventional tactics that could disrupt shipping through the Strait. So as a result, I think one shouldnt dismiss the ability of the Iranian Navy to disrupt shipping in the Gulf, but probably not for a very long time, he said. Experts say the Iran-U.S. tensions are likely to continue to rise and fall until either Iran builds a nuclear weapon or the West finds a way to convince Iran to halt its controversial nuclear program.

A U.S. navy ship has rescued 13 Iranians being held hostage by pirates in the Arabian Sea. The U.S. Navy announced Friday that it encountered the pirates' skiff and the Iranian fishing vessel, the Al Molai, on Thursday after receiving a distress call from the Iranian vessel. In a statement, the navy said a team of military personnel from the destroyer USS Kidd boarded the Iranian vessel, or dhow, and detained 15 pirates who were holding the Iranians hostage.

The statement said the Iranian vessel had been under the control of the pirates for more than a month and was being used as a headquarters for pirate operations. It said the hostages are believed to have been forced to help with piracies. The Navy said the Iranians were given food and medical care before being released, and are now on their way home.

The pirates - believed to be Somalis - are in detention at sea on a U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS John C. Stennis. Iran recently has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, and warned the U.S. not to operate aircraft carriers in the area, something it routinely does. U.S. officials have made clear that operations will continue as usual in the Gulf.

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